Good news for homeless veterans arrived Wednesday with Mayor Paul Soglin’s announcement that the city is receiving more than $135,000 in Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers.
The vouchers will aid 25 veterans in the Rethke Avenue supportive housing building. This announcement is a result of the joint effort to support veterans between the City of Madison, William S. Middleton VA Hospital and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The Rethke Avenue project, funded largely by the City of Madison, is scheduled to open its doors in the spring of 2016 to both homeless veterans and non-veterans alike.
The project is the first of several apartment buildings the city and Dane County plan to build to help formerly homeless citizens secure more permanent housing, Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said.
“Through the staff at the VA Hospital here locally, and then coordinating with local government and local non-profit agencies, we’ve all been working cooperatively to try to eradicate veteran homelessness in Madison as soon as possible,” Verveer said.
The vouchers will cover rent as well as supportive services for the residents, Verveer said.
The program is considered a “housing-first-strategy,” Verveer said, which concentrates primarily on providing permanent shelter, then addressing follow-up services that the residents may need.
Porchlight Inc., which partners with VA Hospital’s homeless services, currently facilitates Madison’s only homeless veteran program, Porchlight director of property development and maintenance Brad Hinkfuss said.
The program consists of a 24-bed facility with on-site staff who meet with the residents to assist them in their transition back into employment and more permanent housing, Hinkfuss said.
According to Hinkfuss the program is unique to Madison, saying most cities do not have a program secured just for homeless veterans. But Porchlight is still in need of far more than 24 beds.
“The program is basically full all the time,” Hinkfuss said. “It’s successful in the sense that we stay full, and successful in the sense that we manage to do a lot for many of the people who come through.”
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Hinkfuss said he believes Wednesday’s announcement is the city’s response to a demand for more homeless veteran assistance.
The city hopes to provide not only additional permanent housing, but services that provide intensive support. The program will assist veterans with securing employment, accessing health care and dealing with the addiction issues that the homeless often deal with, Verveer said.
The Madison announcement arrives amidst large developments for the nation’s homeless veterans.
Wednesday, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced his state would be the first to end homelessness among military veterans. Verveer said Soglin’s announcement is part of this nationwide campaign to eradicate veteran homelessness.
“With these additional vouchers that were announced on Veterans Day, over $100,000 to get 25 veterans apartments on Rethke Avenue, it will go a long way toward eradicating veteran homelessness in Madison,” Verveer said.
